William s



(No Model.)

W. S. BOWIB.

HARNESS.

No. 318,445. Patented May 26, 1885.

N PETERS. Fhnlo'lilhoguphon Wndlingnn. D. C.

Uivrirnn Strains Parietti trice.

VILLAM S. BOVIE, OF GARDINER, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE` AIALF TO JAIRUS H. SCUTT, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

HARNESS.

SEGEFECATEGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,445, dated May 26, 1885.

Application filed August 4, 1884.

To all whom, t 77mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM S. Bowin, of Gardiner, county of Kennebec, State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Harness, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a speciiication, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention in harness relates to drivingreins of the class wherein one end of the rein is attached to the cheek-hook or other part of the harness back of the bridle. In accordance with my invention the ring or cheekpieee of the bit has a rein-receiving slot, into and from which the rein provided with one or more stops may be inserted laterally or edgewise.

My invention consists in a bit the ring or cheek-pieces of which are provided with an open slot, into which the driving-rein may be inserted laterally or edgewise, the rein resting in the said slot while driving; also in a bit having rings or cheek-pieces provided with open slots, combined with a continuous driving and check rein provided with one or more stops to co-operate with the said rings or cheekpieces, as will be described.

Figure l represents the head of a horse with my improved bit and reins applied. Fig. 2 shows one end of the bit enlarged, and Fig. 3 a part of the driving-rein enlarged.

The bit has a bar, a, at each end of which is a ring or cheek-piece, b, which is bent or fashioned, as at b c c', to forni a slot, d, open at one end, as shown in Fig. 2. The parts c o of the ring are bent outward beyond the other parts thereof to form a guide for the rein A.

rlhe bridle B, gag-runner e, check-hook f, terrets g, and saddle 7L are of usual construetion.

The rein A, at each side of the horse, has secured to it two stops, s s. The reins for directing the horse to the right and to the lett extend from the cheek-hook f through the gagrunners e at each side of the bridle, thence through or into the slot d of the ring or cheekpiece of the bit, andthen through the terrets g to the driver. The rein, which is thus continuous, and substantially as in my Patent No. 300,564, is provided back of the gag-runners with a buckle, p, ring r, and slides t, whereby the length of the rein may be shortened be- (No model.)

tween the stops s s at opposite sides of the bridle or head of the horse. The two stops s s' on each halt" of the rein are located but a short distance apart, usually a suiiicient distance t0 receive between them part' c of the ring or cheek-piece. Each halfoithe rein having been passed through the ring b, the part 2 of each half of the rein is slipped laterally into the slot d, leaving the stop s below and the stop s above the part c of the ring or cheekpiece. In this condition the buckle p may be manipulated to give the cheek part of the rein, or that between thestops sand the checklhook f, the proper length, according to the desire of the driver and the height it is wished to place the head of the horse.

\Vhen it is desired to water the horse, it is only necessary to slip the rein laterally out of the slot. If it is desired to permit the horse to lower his head at will, each halfof the rein may be placed in the slot d with both the stops 8 s above the part c.V It' the horse happens to be what is called a puller,"` or one that is Very hard to hold, then one or both stops will be placed above the part c', but at such a distance as to permit the driver to pull the head well up with a hard or the necessary maximum amount of pull before the part c of the ring or cheek-piece comes against the stop.

The distance between the stops s of each half of the reins, the said stops being each below the parts cof the rings or cheek-pieces, determines the regular position of the head of the horse aslong as the rein is engaged with the check-hook, and the distance between the stops s s at each side of the rein, or of the stop s above the part c', determines the distance up to which the head of the horse may be pulled should necessity require when driving in order to check or control his speed.

The rings and cheek-pieces of bits are of inany different shapes; so I do not desire to limit my invention to the exact form of ring or cheek-piece shown, for it is obvious that other well-known forms of bits may be provided with an open-ended slot, as at d, for the reception into it laterally ot' the reins.

The lat part of one side ofthe rein rests on the lateral extension c of the ring or cheekpiece.

I claiml. A bit having a ring or cheek-piece pro- IOO having stops to cooperate, as described7 with the said ring or cheek-piece, the said reins being adapted to extend from the position of 15 the driver, and also constitute a check-rein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have sign ed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM S. BOWIE.

vVitnessesz G. XV. GREGORY, W. H. SiGsToN. 

